Tool for the use of electricians



Aug." 9, 1927. 1,638,438

F. *P. GOTTSCHALK TOOL FORTHE USE OF ELECTRICIANS.

Original Filed Dec. 1. 1920 Patented Aug. 9 1927. i

, 4 1,638,438- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK I. GOTTSCHALK, OF PLAECNFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

'roor. son 'rnn use or ntncrmcmns.

Application med December 1, 1920, serial No. 427,487. Renewed June 22,1821.

- The invention pertains to testing tools for the use of electricians inlocating a defective fuse in an electric circuit, the tool also beingadapted for the removal of a defective l fuse and its replacement by anew fuse.

' The tool of my invention comprises a panof bars pivoted together, inthe nature of pliers, having specially-shaped jaws and equipped withdetachable conductors connected with an electric lamp bulb, saidconductors being intended for application to circuit connections inwhich fuse plugs or other fuses are interposed, so as to determinewhether or not the fuse has become defective, the electric lamplighting, due to the circuit, when the fuse has not become defective andremaining dark when the fuse is defective. The fact that the electriclamp remains dark in the testing of a fuse plug or fuse, is anindication to the operator that the circuit has become broken at thefuse. The tool of my invention is, therefore, intended for locatingdefective fuses and also for removing a defective fuse, when found, andreplacing the same with a new fuse. The pivoted bars constituting thebody of the tool are each in one piece and areof insulating material,and P y saidbars may be opened out and closed together, similar to othertools, such as pliers, shears and the like.

The conductors for locating a defective fuse are detachably connectedwith the mem- 'bers of the tool for convenience in-carrying, packing andutilizing the tool.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed descriptionhereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which:

Fig. 1 is a top view of a testing tool constructed in accordance withand' embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge view, partly broken away, of the same; A

Fig. 3 is a sectional .view, partly broken away, of one/of thetestingconductors detached from the tool; Fig. 4 is a top view. illustratingthe aplication of'the tool for applying or remov-" ing a-fuse plug,-and

Fig. 5 is a top view, partly broken away, illustrating the method ofapplying the tool for testing fuses of one character located in anelectric circuit.

In the drawings, 10 indicates the testing tool'as a .whole, and 11, 12designates the two bars comprising'the body of the tool, .said

recess each other bars being pivoted together at 13, and form- I mannerof 'an ordinary pair of pliers, said bars turning on the pivot 13 andbeing shown as closed together in Fig. 1 and spread open in Figs. 4 and5. The bars 11, 12 may be of suitable outline in exterior form, but inaccordance with my invention the inner edges of the jaws 14, 15 andhandles 16, 17 are stralght and parallel with each other and normallycome together,-or substantially so, in the closed position of the tool,as I illustrate in Fig. 1. The jaws 14, 15 correspond with each other,except that. they are in reversed relation, and each jaw has a forwardlprojecting member 18, and an inner. straig t edge 19 extendin inwardlytoward the pivot of the tool. The forwardly proectlng members 18constitute jaws adapted for one class of work, and the straight edgeportions 19 constitute jaws for a diflerent class of work, and hence thejaws 14, 15 are of special construction intended to facilitate thenecessary work of an electrician in ap- 1 mg and removing fuse plugs orfuses.

The jaws 14, 15 are rimarily intended to carry the testing con uctors20, 21 which are in electrical connection with conductors contained ininsulating material 22, 23 leadng to an electric lamp 24 of customarycharacter. The conductors 20, 21 are formed at their rear ends withsleeves 25 into which the wires 26 contained in the cables 22, 23 areinserted, as shown in Fig. 3, asa means for electrically connecting thelamp conducting wi s with the conductors 20, 21. The sleeves 2 areformed with laterally extendng pins or projections 27, and theseproections re adapted for insertion within the or sockets 28 formed inthe faces of the jaws 14, 15 so asto connect the conductors 20, 21 withthe tool 10 and permit plugs, wires and other connections placed atvaryi-n distances apart. The tool 10 detachab y receives the conductors20, 21, and said conductors are used only for testing purposes and maybe moved outwardly from to varying distances by the opening out orspreading of the handles 16, 17 and jaws 14,- 15, as' will be understoodon reference to Fig. I prefer the employment of two projections 27oneach conductor 20 and 21 and two recesses or sockof the use of saidconductors for testing various locations required without interferencefrom the body portions of the tool, prefer to connect the lamp circuitwires with the conductors 20, 21 in the manner shown in Fig. 3, butobviously this connection may be formed in various ways which will bereadily understood by an electrician. The construction shown in Fig. 3is however, one of efliciency and capable of being carried intopractical effect.

The rear ends of the handles 16, 17 are correspondingly recessed out intheir facing inner edges, as at 29, so as to form a pair of grippingjaws adapted to seize a cartridge fuse for withdrawing the same from itssupports, and also to receive a new cartridge fuse fOr application tothe supports therefor. The jaws formed by the recesses 29 are useful inconnection with carj tridge fuses because with their use the electricianis not compelled to place his hands inany position likely to result inhis receiving a shock from the current.

The bars 11, 12 constitutethe body of the tool and will be formed ofwood or other non-conducting material, and hence the tool may beemployed for testing purposes and for the other duties to which it isadapted without danger of electric shock to the per- Between the mainand incoming wires are the customary fuse-plugs 33. The application ofthe conductors 20, 21 to the binding ortions 30, in the manner shown inFig. 5, 1s for the purpose of determining whether the hidden fuses havebeen blown out, and in the event that a fuse has become defective, thecircuit between the wires 32, 3-1 willbecome broken and this factwill-be determined b the lam bulb 24 which will remain dark if the biden fuses have become defective, since then no current can conductors 20,21 to the amp whic will light if the said fuses are in perfectcondition, since the current will then pass through the conductors'20,21 and li ht the lamp. If it should be found that the fuse is defective,by .the lamp remainin' dark, the fuse-plug should be removed an a newplug ass throu the substituted therefor, and the process of removing andre-applying the fuse-plu is indicated in Fig. 4, in which it may e seenthat the jaws 14, 15 have'been applied to the top or outer end of theplug in position to be employed as a wrench or pair of pliers forunscrewing the plug and removing it from the base or of applying a newplug in position on the base.- The jaws 14, 15 are opened out andapplied against the fuseplug cap in such manner that the members 18 ofthe jaws will gri the edges of the cap and that the outer en of the capmay lie within the recess formed at the forward end of'the tool betweenthe jaw members 18. hen the presence of the conductors 20, 21 and lamp24 result in any inconvenient use of the tool for removing or applying afuseplug, said conductors and lamp may be rea 11y detached from the toolby withdrawing the pins 27 from the recesses 28 of the jaws 14, 15, andthereafter the conductors 20, 21 may be reapplied to the jaws 14, 15 forfurther use in testing. If in testing for a defective cartridge fuse itshould be found necessary to remove a fuse, the jawsformed at the rearends of the handles 16, 17 will be employed, as hereinbefore mentioned.

If the fuse should,be a plain 'wire fuse of the kind commonly employed,it may be removed by gripping the same between the plain surfaces 19ofthe jaws 14, 15, said edges by coming close together in the mannershown in Fig. 1 adaptin the jaws 14, 15 for the extraction or withdrawalofa wire fuse. v

The conductors 20, 21 and lamp 24 may be removed from the tool 10 forconvenience in packing andcarrying the instrument and may also beremoved when their resence interferes with the convenient use 0theinstrument "as a pair of pliers. In the construction presented theconductors 20, 21;

may with entire convenience be applied to an removed from the jaws 14,15, and said conductors by being on the upper faceof said jaws areexposed and their application to the o posite oints of a circuitconnection may e readl y performed. The mounting of the testing,conductors 20, 21 on the jaws- 14, 15 is of considerable importancebecause the separation between testing points in electric circults vary,and'the present tool ermits of the lateral movement of the con uctors20, 21 so as to adapt the tool for testmg circuits under all usualconditions.

The tool of my invention, as will be understood from the foregoingdescription, is of special use to electricians-in locating'defect-ivefuses, and removing such fuses and replaclng the same with new fuses,the one tool serving for the detection of the defec-- tive fuses, andfacilitating the work of re moving defective fuses and replacingthemwith new fuses.

amass V i a The tool is so formed that is posseses 'for the use ofelectricians, comprisinfia' air 15 great durability and compactness,and, by of pivoted together crossed bars a or ing reason of the innerfacing edgesof the two handles at one end and jaws at the other barsnormally coming together, said bar's end, forwardly projecting-testingconduc- 5 are not liable to become broken or distorted tors mounted on.said jaws and an electric when placed with other tools and relieve lamin circuit with said'conductors, saidthepivot of strain except when thetool is con uctors having laterally extending pins in actual use, and inad ition said construcon their rear portions, and said 'aws having tionof the'bars permits of the use of both sockets to detachably receive saipins.

1 ends of thevtool for removing or applying 'S'ignedat New York city,inthe county ofv fuses. New. .York and State of New York, this 30th 25'What I claini as my invention and desire day of November, A. D. 1920.

. I to secure by Letters'Patent, is:

A hand-tool or the character described FREDERICK rzieo'r'rscnanx;

